A Brief History:

Our program was founded by Dr. C.P. Shah as the ‘Community Medicine Residency Program’ in 1976. Since that time it has grown and developed thanks to the contributions of its leaders, faculty, trainees and many others.

Our Mission:

The vision of the Public Health & Preventive Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto is to be a great place to learn and a great place to teach public health specialist medicine to improve health and contribute to society in Canada and globally. Our mission is to train public health physician leaders and to graduate Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialists who possess the knowledge, skills and values to make independent, evidence-informed, community responsive, accountable and ethical decisions to assess, maintain and improve health overall and reduce health inequities in communities and populations.

While our program emphasizes the skills and knowledge needed serve as local medical officers of health, it also prepares trainees for Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialist roles in research, education and practice in a variety of government, academic and non-government settings at the national, regional, local and global level. However, recognizing the need for Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialists in many roles and the variety of career paths graduates may choose, the program will support trainees to gain clinical certification in Family Medicine and to have opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills in focus areas such as research, education, environmental health, public health administration and global health.

The program will provide residents with learning and assessment opportunities that meet Royal College, program and personal objectives. We support residents' self-direction and self-assessment as well as provide some flexibility in the demonstration of achievement of competency.

The specialty of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is a broad, exciting, and ever-changing career that improves the health of individuals and populations across Canada and the world.

PHPM is a recognized entry route for subspecialty training in Occupational Medicine by the RCPSC. For more details, please refer to the Occupational Medicine Residency Program website.

Should you have any questions, please email our Program Coordinator: phpm.progasst@utoronto.ca.